Glass-transfer apparatus



Nov. 29, 1927.

H. K. HITCHCOCK GLASS TRANSFER APPARATUS Original Filed March 27, 1924 3 Shee eat 1 Nov, 29, 1927. 1,651,206

- H. K. HXTCHCOCK GLASS TRANSFER APPARATUS riginal Fild March 27, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIEES.

A4 fK/MM Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,206

K. HITCHCOCK GLAS S TRANS FER APPARATUS Original Filed March 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES I res ns PATENT OFFICE.

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Original application filed March 27, 1924, Serial No. 702,260. Divided. and this application filed December 29, 1825.

The invention relates to apparatus for turning over and transferring glass plates, and constitutes a division of my application, Serial No. 702,260, filed March 27, 192 1. The apparatus is designed particularly for picking up glass sheets from cars'or tables upon one track, carrying such sheets to other cars or tables on a second parallel track, and depositing them on such other cars or tables. The two tracks pass beneath two series of grinding and polishing machines, such as shown in the United I FOX, No. 1,554,804, and during the transfer of the sheets from the cars on one track to those on the other, it is desirable to maintain an uninterrupted forward moven'ient of the cars corresponding to their movement under the grinding and polishing machines. The present invention has for its object the pro vision of improved means for giving the crane carrying the turnover and transfer means a constan forward movement corresponding to that of the cars, while at the same time permitting an independent backward and forward movement of the crane by means of a shifting motor.

Briefly stated, this is accomplished by the use upon the crane of a constant speed electric motor arranged so as to more the crane' ahead at the same rate of speed as the ta,-

- bles carrying the glass, which motor is used on the crane in conjunction with a second series wound electric motor for moving the crane in both directions at any desired. speed, gearing being provided between the motors and crane including a differential. This permits the constant speed motor to run continuously without interfering with the back and forth movement of the crane as secured by the series wound motor. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the apparatus of 1. And Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line IH1II of Fig. v2.

' Referring to the drawings, 1 is a platform .mounted upon a track 2'extending' longitw dinally of the tracks 3 and 4 upon which are mounted the carriers or cars 5 and 6, such cars bein adapted to carry the glass sheets which are to be ground and polished beneath the ser es of g inders an p l shers1 e etotates Patent to J. H,

Serial No. 78,038.

fore referred to. Carried by theframeivork of the platfom 1 are a pair of guide frames.

7 and 8, in which are mounted the pipes 9 and 10, constituting supporting framework of the vacuum frames 11 and 12 located over the cars. These vacuum frames are raised and lowered by means of crank discs 18, 13 connected to cables 14, 14 passing around sheaves 15, 15. The crank discs themselves are rotated fromthe motors 16, operating throughreducing gearing in the .casingsll. 17. A vacuum producing unitis mounted upon the platform and-includes the motor 18, the pump 19 and the tank 20 connected to the vacuum cups of the frames 11 and 12 by means of suitable piping provided with valves, as more fully set forth in myv applicat on heretofore referred to. Q

Mounted for movement transversely of the cars 5 and 6 and carried byqthe platform 1 is the trolley frame21 having wheels 22 en gaging a suitable track upon such platform.

This trolley frame carries the turnover table 23, adapted toreceive the glass plates filo-in the vacuum frame 11, turn such plates-upside down, and move them laterally beneath the frame 12. In order to move the turn over table vertically when it comes under the vacuum frames 11 and 12, the track on which the wheels 22 are mounted is provided with the raised portions 241-, 24f. he trolley frame is moved back and forth to bring the turnover table beneath thetwo vacuum frames by means of the lever 25, pivoted at 26 to the platform framing and i133 ing its lower end pivoted to a slide 2?? guided for vertical movement in a guidewaycar .ed by one of the members of the trolley frame pivoted together at 7-34, and the full "lines in Fig. 1 show the table in open central position, while the dotted lines at A indicate the table in fold d pe tien; t e abl being LII moved to such folded position in order to turn the sheet over, so that when the frame is opened again, the sheet will be reversed in position.

' The section 33 of the table carries a. crank 35, and this crank is connected by means of therod 36 with the crank disc 3. The table section 32 has mounted on its lower side a transverse shaft carrying at its ends the rollers 38 mounted in the guide slots 39 in the side plates of the frame 21. The crank disc 3'7 is driven from the motor 40 through the intermediary of suitable reduc tion gearing, the motor and operating parts being all seated upon a bracket 41 carried by the trolley frame 21. The section 33 of the table has secured across its lower side the shaft 42 1nounted at its ends in theside plates of the frame 21. The rotation of the crank disc 37 through approximately 180 degrees brings the crank 35 to the dotted line position marked B, thus rotating the table sections to the position marked A, and closing such sections with the rollers 38 at the right hand end of the guide slots 39, as indicated in dotted lines at C. The slots 39 during such movement serve to guide the sec-- tion 32 laterally, while the pivotal connection 34 between the two sections is swung downward to the position indicated in dotted lines. This movement brings the frame past a vertical position, so that when it is opened b reversin the motor 40 the lass sheet will rest upon the section 33, with its rough side, which was formerly down, facing up. The suction for the vacuum cups is operanism, more fully shown and described in my application heretofore referred to, and it will be, understood that the particular means here shown and described for trans-- ferring the glass sheets from the tables 5 to the tables 6 and turning them upside down during the transfer constitutes no part of the invention claimed in the present application, such application being directed primarily to the means for giving the platform 1', or crane, the movements which are desired during the transfer of the glass sheets from the table 5 to the table 6 and intermediate such transfer. Such mechanism will now be described. 7

Two motors are employed for shifting the platform 1 along the crane runway or track 2, namely, the main shifting motor 43, which is of the series wound type for moving the crane back and forth along the runway in dependent of the movement of the cars or tables 5 and 6, and an auxiliary motor 44,

which is of the shunt wound constant speed type for giving the crane a forward movement, which is exactly the same as that of. the cars or tables which move forward coi tinuously durin the operation of laying the glass on the tables, This constant forward 44, such latter motor being allowed to operate continuously, so that when the opera.- tion of the motor 43 is discontinued, the motor 44 automatically takes up the work of moving the crane forward at the same speed as the glass carrying the cars or tables therebeneath, thus relieving the operator of the work of moving switch-es to stop and start the auxiliary motor, such as would be required if separate motors withoutthe differential were employed. Norm reducing gearing is preferably employed between the auxiliary motor and the differential, with the worm of a pitch such that the worm wheel cannot be rotated backwai'dly by the worm. This prevents the shifting motor from running the auxiliary motor backward instead of moving the crane when the auxiliary motor is not running. The main driving motor is equipped with the usual magnetic brake to stop it quickly so that it will not be run backwardly (when not operating) by the auxiliary motor. 7

Referring to Fig. 3, 46 is a shaft extending transversely of the crane'or platform and carrying the crane wheels 47'. This shaft is ated by suitable automatic release meehprovided vith the spur gear 48 driven from both motors and 44 through the intermediary of the differential 45, which in v be of any approved form. As illustrated,

this differential comprises'a-pair of shafts 49 and 50, the first of which has keyed to its outer end, the spur gear 51 driven fromthe iinion 52 of the main shifting moton43, while the second of which has keyed to its outer end the worm wheel. 53 driven from the worm 04 carried by the shaft of the motor 44. The two shafts have the gears 55 and 56 integral with their inner ends,

and these gears mesh with the bevel pinions 57 and 58 D'lOUYltctl on the shaft 59. This suait is caiiied in suitable beaiingsin the ill-I3 spider 60, such spider havingintegral therewith the sleeves 61 and 62, the latter of which has keyed to it the pinion 63, which drives the gear 48 keyed to the shaft46;

The motor 44 is of the shunt wound con stant speed type, which is Setso as to drive the crane forwardly through the differential the magnetic brake 64 on the shaft of the motor 43 prevent such shaft from being run backwardly. On the other hand, the motor 43 can, by reason of the differential, run the crane back and forth without any interference from the continuous drive of the motor 44, such motor being, of course, adapted to run at a much higher speed than the motor 4%, so that the crane can be moved backwardly despite the constant forward drive of the motor at The operator is, therefore, relieved of stopping and starting'the con stant speed motor t l, as would be the case if it were not for the differential. The pitch of the worm 54; is such that it acts as a lock to prevent the backward rotation of the worm wheel 53 when the motor 43 is operating and the current to the motor 44L is cut off, thus dispensing with the requirement of a brake or some equivalent device to prevent the rotation of the shaft under such conditions, as such rotation would, of course, render the motor 4L3 ineffective to move the crane in either direction.

WVhat I claim is:

1 In combination with a moving grinding table adapted to receive a sheet of material to be ground or surfacetha laying frame mounted above the said table for movement in the same direction, and two driving means for moving the frame, one means being adapted to move the frame in the same direction and at the same speed as that of the table, and the other adapted to move the frame in either direction and at a variable speed greater than. that of the table.

2. In combination with a moving grinding table adapted to receive a sheet of material to be ground or surfaced, a laying frame mounted above the said table for movement in the same direction, and two driving means for moving the frame, one means being adapted to move the frame in-the same direction and at the same speed as that of the table, and the other adapted to move the frame in either direction and at a variable speed greater than that of the table, the said driving means operating through a differential, so that they can both be operated together and the variable speed drive thrown into and out of operation without discontinuing the other drive.

3. In combination with a moving grinding table adapted to receive a sheet of material to be ground or surfaced, a laying frame ,rection regardless of first motor.

mounted above the said table for movement in the same direction, a constant speed electric motor adapted to move the frame ahead at the same rate of speed as the table, and a second series wound motor for moving it in both directions.

f. In combination with a moving grinding table adapted to receive a sheet of material to be ground or surfaced, a laying frame mounted above the said table for movement in the same direction, a constant speed electric motor adapted to move the frame ahead at the same rate of speed as the table, a second series Wound motor for moving it in both directions, and means whereby the constant speed motor is permitted to operate continuously Without interfering with the back and forth movement of the frame by stant speed type adapted to move the frame in the direction of travel of the table and at the same rate of speed, and the other being a series wound motor adapted to move the frame in both directions at a higher rate of speed than the first motor.

6. In combinatlon with a moving grinding table adapted to receive a sheet of mate rial to be ground or surfaced, a: laying frame mounted above the said table for movement in the samedirection, means including dif ferential gearing for moving the frame, a constant speed electric motor having a worm wheel and worm connection to the differential gearing and adapted to movethe frame through such differential in the direction of.

travel of the table and at the same speed as the table, and an electric shifting motor also connected-to the differential to move the frame through the differential in either di- In testimony whereof, I subscribed my name this 28th day of Decemthe operation of) the have hereunto 

